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Fair Witness Statement on the Israeli/Palestinian = Peace Talks=20 and the Settlement Construction Freeze

NEW YORK, Sept. 27=20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Christians for Fair Witness on the Middle East ("Fair Witness") strongly urges = both Israel and the Palestinian Authority to = remain at the=20 negotiating table and to work diligently to achieve an agreement that = will=20 create a Palestinian State and ensure Israel the=20 security and peace it has been longing for.

"We regret Israel's decision not to = extend the=20 10-month moratorium on settlement construction," said Rev. Dr. Peter A. Pettit, Director of the Institute for=20 Jewish-Christian Understanding at Muhlenberg = College=20 and Fair Witness Executive Committee member. "While the = Palestinian=20 Authority made this decision much more difficult for Israel by waiting until fairly late in the = 10-month=20 period to agree to begin direct talks, extending this moratorium clearly = would=20 have been helpful now."

Rev. Dr. Bruce Chilton, Bernard = Iddings Bell=20 Professor of Religion at Bard College, also = a member=20 of the Executive Committee of Fair Witness, pointed out that "looking at = the=20 situation broadly, however, the critical issue to be negotiated concerns = territory, not settlements in a limited sense. Finding viable parameters = of a=20 two-state solution will bring Palestinian sovereignty on the one hand = and real=20 guarantees of peace and security to Israel on the=20 other."

"Both sides need to stay at the table now," added Rev. James Loughran, S.A. Director of the Graymoor = Ecumenical=20 & Interreligious Institute and Fair Witness member. "If they could = only=20 agree on security arrangements and the placement of the border between = the=20 Palestinian state and the Jewish state, the Israeli occupation of the=20 Palestinian Territories would end and the issue of settlements would = just=20 resolve itself."

"For the sake of a peaceful future and a Palestinian state living = side by=20 side with Israel, Fair Witness strongly = urges=20 both parties to remain at the table until a just solution can be found," = said=20 Sr. Ruth Lautt, O.P., Esq., Fair Witness = National=20 Director.

SOURCE Christians for Fair Witness on the Middle=20 East

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